The idea of the Houston Texans trading backup quarterback Davis Mills has begun to pick up more steam amongst fans and media within the last week or so. After Mills went 3-0 in three season-saving games last season when quarterback C.J. Stroud went down with a concussion, his value outside of Houston has never been higher.
While no one will confuse him with Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes, he has shown a steadiness that was vital for the Texans as they navigated a potentially lost season at 3-5 and heading into their matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 10.
If the team ultimately decides to move on from the former Stanford product, here are three options to replace him.
Who could the Texans sign to replace Davis Mills if Houston trades their QB2?
Will Levis (Tennesee Titans)
The Tennessee Titans drafted Will Levis in the second round of the 2023, which was the same class as Stroud. While Stroud was the starter from day one, Levis had to wait until week eight against the Atlanta Falcons to finally get the starting nod. He electrified the NFL that day, going off for 238 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 130.5 passer rating in the 28-23 victory.
Since then, he's gone 4-16 as a starter, got season ending shoulder surgery in 2025 and has most likely played his last down as a Titan after the team opted to select former Miami Hurricane Cam Ward first overall in the 2025 draft.
While Levis has struggled to replicate his magnificent debut game, he's at least shown some grittiness and an ability to be a dual threat option at the position. Also, reports have starting circulating alleging that he might be on the trade block this offseason.
Though trading within Division is normally not an ideal proposition, the Titans might not consider themselves to be in the position to be picky when it comes to who they get their draft compensation from. If a sixth or seventh-round pick gets it done, the Texans should at least consider Levis as an option.
Given the right set of circumstances, maybe Levis rehabilitates his image in some capacity and gets a larger opportunity in 2027.
Russell Wilson (New York Giants)
Russell Wilson has had a rough go of things since his departure from the Seattle Seahawks back in 2022.
After being traded to the Denver Broncos for a boatload of assets (quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (2022 -- No. 9 overall -- and 2023), two second-round picks (2022 -- No. 40 overall -- and 2023) and a 2022 fifth-round selection) he proceeded to go 11-19 as the starting quarterback from 2022-2023.
After another historic transaction (he got cut) saw him jettisoned from the Broncos at the end of 2023, he stopped through Pittsburgh (2024) to then land in the Big Apple (2025) to eventually play back up to rookie Jaxson Dart.
A gargantuan 450-yard, three touchdown passing day against the Dallas Cowboys in week two helped show that Wilson still had some gas left in the tank at age 37.
If the Texans were to take a chance on Wilson, it would provide Stroud with the best quarterback resource he's ever had to learn from on the roster, along with him being a Super Bowl champion and a legitimate option if Stroud misses time at any point. That is, if Wilson is really alright with a designated backup role at this point in his illustrious career.
Marcus Mariota (Washington Commanders)
With Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels being sidelined for the majority of the 2025 season with njuries, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota stepped in and led the offense as best as he could.
Across 11 appearances, he threw for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while having a 86.1 passer rating.
The highlight of his season came in week 13 against the Denver Broncos, when Mariota nearly pulled the upset of the year in a 27-26 overtime thriller. Throwing for 294 yards and two touchdowns, had Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto not gotten his glove on a Mariota pass near the goal line in overtime, Mariota would've toppled the eventual AFC #1 seed.
At only 32 years old, Mariota is still young enough to provide a quality spark off the bench in a pinch, and his dual threat abilities would add another dimension to the offense if needed.